Efficacy and safety of preseasonal-specific immunotherapy with an aluminium-adsorbed six-grass pollen allergoid

BACKGROUND: The clinical efficacy and safety of a six-grass pollen allergoid has been studied. The advent of more exacting clinical guidelines and a better appreciation of the possible mechanisms of treatment prompted this reappraisal. METHODS: A 2-year double-blind multicentre placebo-controlled phase 3 clinical trial was undertaken in 154 patients suffering symptoms of rhinoconjunctivitis with or without asthma (GINA I or II). Therapy comprised two consecutive preseasonal short-courses of subcutaneous injections using a grass pollen allergoid adsorbed to aluminium hydroxide. RESULTS: A combined symptom and medication score (SMS) was used as the primary end-point for clinical efficacy. SMS from the first year showed a significant difference of 26.6% between the two study groups (P=0.026) and this was improved after the second year when there was a 48.4% difference in SMS between active and placebo treatment in favour of the allergoid (P = 0.018). Highly significant increases in grass pollen allergen-specific IgG1 and IgG4 antibody concentrations were measured in association with active treatment. Allergen tolerance was increased as judged by a conjunctival provocation test and significant improvements in quality of life were documented using a standardized questionnaire. The allergoid was well tolerated. CONCLUSIONS: The grass pollen allergoid was shown to be safe and clinically efficacious in the management of hay fever with or without asthma (GINA I or II).     

Blood Lymphocyte Proliferation Response to Pollen Extract as a Monitor of Immunotherapy

In a study of immunotherapy 41 children with seasonal rhinoconjunctivitis due to deciduous tree pollen allergy were monitored by means of symptom scoring, patient self-evaluation, conjunctival provocation tests and lymphocyte proliferation in vitro to the allergen. The lymphocyte responsiveness to birch pollen decreased significantly during the first year of immunotherapy. However, neither the lymphocyte responsiveness before treatment nor changes in lymphocyte reactivity during the immunotherapy correlated with the clinical efficacy of the therapy as evaluated by changes in symptom scores, self-evaluation or conjunctival provocation test changes in the individual patients. The results indicate the lymphocyte responsiveness to an allergen cannot be used to select patients for immunotherapy, i.e. to predict whether a patient would benefit from immunotherapy or not, or to evaluate the effects of immunotherapy after beginning the treatment. However, lymphocyte proliferation response to an allergen indicates clinical sensitivity.     

Replication of alcelaphine herpesviruses in various cell culture systems and subsequent purification of virus

Summary Cultures of fetal aoudad sheep kidney (FAK), bovine embryonic lung (BEL), and African green monkey kidney (Vero) cells were compared for differential replication of alcelaphine herpesviruses. Cell-free virus appears more rapidly when infected cells are incubated at 33° C rather than at 37° C. Events in the replication and morphologic development of several alcelaphine herpesvirus isolates have been documented using light and electron microscopy. Techniques for indirect immunofluorescence and serum virus neutralization are described. When virus free of host-cell contaminants is desired for biochemical analysis, virus isolates are initially purified on sucrose gradients and then further purified by density gradient centrifugation in Percoll.     

HEREDITARY HEMORRHAGIC TELANGIECTASIA WITH MALIGNANT LYMPHOMA An Autopsy Case

A 60-year-old Japanese woman was diagnosed at autopsy as having had hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) associated with systemic hemangiomas. In her repoduction period, premenstrual epistaxis frequently occurred. At the age of 60, the patient died of malignant lymphoma. At autopsy, multiple telangiectatic spots were noted on the face, limbs and trunk. The paraaortic lymph nodes, which were enlarged and irregularly conglomerated, were histologically diagnosed as malignant lymphoma of the diffuse large cell type. Submucosal telangiectatic lesions were found in the gastrointestinal system from the oral cavity to the rectum. Cavernous hemangiomas were present in various visceral organs including the liver, spleen, small and large intestines, rectum, appendix, uterus, and jejunal and colonic mesenteries. There was an arteriovenous fistula in the left lung. Examination of her family pedigree showed that the patient had an autosomal dominant trait of inheritance. The pathogenesis of the systemic visceral hemangiomas observed in this patient was considered to be similar to that of hamartoma.     

冲击伤肺肋面的平行出血条纹

本文采用部分肋骨切除术,切除15只家兔双侧5、6、7、8肋中任一肋距脊柱约2cm处一段长约1cm的肋骨。一周后对受冲击波致伤的肺肋面的出血情况进行解剖观察,发现肺肋面的出血条纹呈“工”字形,从而为冲击伤肺肋面的平行出血条纹是肋间压痕这一观点找到了直接的实验证据。     

固脱汤对失血性休克大鼠糖皮质激素受体的影响

目的和方法：以［３Ｈ］地塞米松为配体，用放射配体结合法测定了正常对照组、失血休克组和固脱汤加失血休克组大鼠肝胞液及胸腺细胞糖皮质激素受体（ＧＲ），用竞争性蛋白结合分析法测定了血浆中皮质酮（ＣＣ）的浓度。结果：固脱汤加失血估克组失血１２ｈ后肝胞液及胸腺细胞ＧＲ高于失血组（Ｐ＜００１）。和正常对照组的差别不显著。失血休克组及固脱汤加失血休克组血浆ＣＣ的浓度的差别不显著，但均高于正常对照组（Ｐ＜００１）。结论：固脱汤可在一定程度上防止失血休克时ＧＲ的减少而不影响血浆ＣＣ的水平，为固脱汤抗休克从受体水平提供了依据     

虎杖4号与多巴胺、654－2治疗大鼠失血性休克疗效比较

使用大鼠复制重度失血性休克模型后，分别用盐水、多巴胺、６５４－２及虎杖４号结晶给予治疗。结果：虎杖４号治疗组大鼠的平均存活时间明显长于其余三组，存活率亦有提高，给药后，三级动脉、静脉的口径恢复正常。提示：虎杖４号可以改善微循环；治疗大鼠失血性休克的疗效优于多巴胺及６５４－２。